CBS MemosCBS Memos Archives
January 11, 2005
Shocked, Mapes Stands By Her Story
Mary Mapes, former producer of the scandalous CBS Bush-Guard Story, has released a public response to an independent panel's review and report, stating, "I am shocked by the vitriolic scape-goating in Les Moonves’s statement." Among her more optimistic claims is an insistence that the CBS Memos are accurate. She writes...January 10, 2005
Rather Stands by His Claim that the Fake Story is Accurate
The Report on the CBS Rathergate scandal contains this bombshell: [Rather] told the Panel, that he did not fully agree with the decision [to apologize] and still believes that the content of the documents is accurate. The Panel is troubled by these conflicting statements. Update: Mary Mapes, the story's producer,...CBS Ousts 4 For Bush Guard Story, Mapes Terminated
This just in from CBS regarding the release of their 234 page Rathergate Report: Four CBS News employees, including three executives, have been ousted for their role in preparing and reporting a disputed story about President Bush’s National Guard service. [see Memos, Memos, Memos ...] The action was prompted by...Independent Review Panel Examining CBS Issues Report of Its Findings
The Independent Review Panel assigned to examine CBS News' "60 Minutes Wednesday" Broadcast of Sept. 8, 2004 has issued its report. The panel was comprised of the Honorable Dick Thornburgh, former US Attorney General, and Louis D. Boccardi, retired President and Chief Executive Officer of the Associated Press. The 224...January 9, 2005
Finding Courage in Rathergate
Pittsburgh Tribune Review quotes Marvin Kalb, a former CBS and NBC news correspondent, regarding Dan Rather's criticism of those who exposed CBS's use of forged memos. "Television must deal with political pressures to conform to resurgent conservative values that appear to be stifling editorial courage in the newsroom. (Dan) Rather...January 6, 2005
CBS Report on Fake Memos Set for Release
According to Drudge: THU JAN 06 2005 10:46:50 ET // SOURCES: CBS REPORT ON '60 MINUTES' AIRING OF FAKE BUSH DOCS SET FOR RELEASE...Is it too much to hope for an impartial analysis of the facts? [more on the panel]...December 28, 2004
Ten Errors in One Paragraph by WaPo
Those who followed the Memogate Scandal will appreciate the list or errors identified by Scylla & Charybdis in one paragraph of a Washington Post article. (hat tip: LGF) Here is one of the errors that follows the fake but true pattern: shoddy record - Begs the question. Prior to the...Why There is No Escaping the Blog
No one knows that better than Dan Rather. In a now infamous episode, the anchor fell like Goliath to the political bloggers during the presidential campaign. From the start, it was clear that these nobodies with laptops were going to have an impact. - Fortune Magazine Is "a nobody with...December 20, 2004
Fake but True Alert
Richard Wolffe (Newsweek): What did you think of the bloggers' role in the Dan Rather affair? Ana Marie Cox: I think they did a disservice to the debate because they made the debate about the documents and not about the president of the United States. There was another half to...November 23, 2004
Rather Steps Down, Finally
While on vacation I heard the announcement on CNN, after checking the internet I found that it is indeed true, Dan Rather is stepping down. Dan Rather, embattled anchor of the "CBS Evening News," announced Tuesday that he will step down in March, on the 24th anniversary of taking over...November 16, 2004
CBS Credibility Continues Decline
Does CBS really take seriously their responsibility for reporting a story based on fraudlent memos that reflected poorly on a presidential candidate shortly before an election? The expose' of the president, which has been thoroughly discredited, was certainly meant to be of relevance to the American voter and influence the...September 30, 2004
Texas Attorney Launches Rathergate Probe
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has launched a criminal investigation into forged military records allegedly obtained from President Bush's National Guard file that were aired by CBS News three weeks ago, referring a congressional request for the probe to the investigative division of the Texas Rangers....September 26, 2004
CBS Plans Spring Retirement for Rather
Just a headline from Drudge as of 9pm Pacific with a few comments here. Update: Here is the the New York Times article referred to by Drudge....INDC Catches Up with Bob Schieffer
In an exclusive interview, INDC caught up with CBS veteran reporter Bob Schieffer....September 25, 2004
CBS Inundated with Calls, Rather Fights for Job
The LA Times reports that CBS has switched from "what went wrong" to who gets blamed for the forged memo scandal. While many point to CBS producer Mary Mapes, Rather's position is not certain. What is the decision is reportedly in the hands of the affiliates:...September 24, 2004
Complaint About CBS Memos Alleges Illegal Activity
The Center for Individual Freedom today filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission charging that CBS and Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc., illegally coordinated election communications. The jist of the complaint is that without the DNC getting involved with CBS' prime source, the fraudlent story would not have been aired. The...September 23, 2004
Burkett Blames CBS, the White House and Bloggers - Believes Memos Authentic
"The coordinated attacks against the documents, then against me, which CBS did nothing to deflect or defend, and then against Dan Rather and CBS producer Mary Mapes have not been against the validity of the documents, but rather as an attack against anything being considered at all," Burkett said.
More Bad News for CBS, Mapes
Another question that is implied in Powerline is how deep (or high) the probe will go. In a New York Times article CBS President, Heyward, is clearly linked to and dirtied by the scandal.
September 22, 2004
CBS Forgery Bumps Expose' of Forgery
What great irony it would have been if the CBS story that was based on forged documents (about President Bush’s military record) bumped a different story that exposed forgery. Wait a minute! This actually happened....CBS Appoints Panel to Investigate Memo Scandal
The Honorable Dick Thornburgh, former governor of Pennsylvania and United States attorney general under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and Louis D. Boccardi, retired president and chief executive officer of the Associated Press, will comprise the independent review panel that will examine the process by which a recent "60 Minutes Wednesday" report was prepared and broadcast.
Focus of External Criticism is on CBS Producer
Major news networks continue to criticize Mary Mapes, producer of the fake story about President Bush that was based on forged memos. Mapes put confidential witness, Bill Burkett, in touch with Democratic operatives and assured network executives the story was solid. Burkett has admitted to lying and is a well...Without Memos CBS Had No Story
Zelnick was right as quoted in the Washington Post. Bob Zelnick, a former ABC correspondent who now chairs Boston University's journalism department, faulted CBS's apology, saying: "There's one word I haven't heard so far: retraction. They've yielded inch by inch on the authenticity of the documents and the reliability of...September 21, 2004
CBS Puts Confidentail Unimpeachable Source in Contact with Top Democrat
In what many are calling a stunning development, news organizations are reporting that CBS put their key and confidential source, Bill Burkett, in contact with John Kerry Adviser, Joe Lockhart. This happened, of course, prior to CBS' insistence that it would not disclose Burkett's name. CBS arranged for a confidential...Burkett Reveals His Role - Truth is Now Out?
USA Today provides an informative article into Burkett's role as a "conduit" for the guard memos. He apparently doubted their authenticity and warned CBS. Rather acknowledged this and apologized. Newsmax reports that Burkett said, "I insisted that they be authenticated." Burkett also admitted that he lied to newspapers and CBS...September 20, 2004
Republicans Question CBS' Source Link to DNC
Washington, DC--Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie issued the following statement on CBS’s admission today that memos regarding the President’s National Guard service are not real....Dan Rather Speaks, CBS Expresses Regret
CBS News said Monday it cannot prove the authenticity of documents used in a 60 Minutes story about President Bush's National Guard service and that airing the story was a "mistake" that CBS regretted. CBS News Anchor Dan Rather, the reporter of the original story, apologized. Of note is...September 19, 2004
CBS Close to an Admission (of being misled)
CBS now (probably) admits that the memos, which are the key to their story, are fake and that they were misled, literally victimized, by an anonymous unimpeachable source (or Bill Burkett). The White House is to blame, too. However, the story is accurate and Dan Rather is confident.
An Upcoming Interview with Bill Burkett
The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz reports that CBS will broadcast an interview with Bill Burkett in "an effort to resolve" the dispute over the authenticity of Bush Guard Memos [more]. Apparently it will not be broadcast until midweek....September 18, 2004
CBS Insiders are Worried - Investigation Ongoing
The New York Times reports that Betsy West, a top CBS news executive, has taken over the investigation of the forged memo scandal and Newsweek reveals that the network has directed substantial resources to investigate the controversy over 60 Minutes' use of forged memos to criticize the president....DNC Had Forged Memos Before CBS?
Although CBS previously reported that they had been working on the Killian Memo story for six weeks prior to broadcast, an LA Times article indicates that 60 Minutes received the memos just days before broadcast [Allahpundit and Wizbandblog]. Now the Washington Post and New York Times are following suit. The...September 17, 2004
Staudt Speaks Out - Memos Fake, Not Accurate
One of many notable discrepencies in the CBS Memos is that they refer to an active role by Col. Walter Staudt despite the fact that he retired 1.5 years before they were written. The memos suggest that Staudt exerted pressure against Lt. Col. Jerry Killian in an attempt to gain...September 16, 2004
A Likely Source for the CBS Memos Part II
Update: CBS has issued a statement and Rather has apologized. There is no admission of inaccuracy but the network does say it was misled by Burkett regarding the source of the memos [more]. Burkett will be interviewed on the CBS evening news 9/20. Previously I documented the possible role that...September 15, 2004
60-Minutes Interviews Knox, Rather Speaks Out
The spin from CBS is that the authenticity of the records they reported does not matter because they believe their story is true. Having witnessed Rather's profound inability to admit error, I lack confidence in his ability to report accurately the actions of those he is biased against.
CBS' Anticipated Statement
Statement by the President of CBS News, Andrew Heyward, concerning the CBS Memo Scandal (from Drudge): "We established to our satisfaction that the memos were accurate or we would not have put them on television. There was a great deal of coroborating [sic] evidence from people in a position to...Networks Continue to Criticize Bush Despite Memo Suspicions
While the media feeding frenzy is well on its way there is likely to remain an awkward and obvious inconsistency in the articles by those who irrationally want the story to be true even though the evidence is false. Could this be THE DEATH CRY OF SNOB JOURNALISM ?
The Twists and Turns of CBS's Memo Controversy
The CBS controversy is based on the use of forged documents by 60-minutes and CBS. This is what the experts tell us. President Bush may or may not have conducted himself poorly during his military service. The former is what Democrats want to be true. Items 1 and 2 are...September 14, 2004
Document Experts Warned CBS Prior to Broadcast
While the media feeding frenzy is well on its way there is likely to be an awkward inconsistency in the articles by those who want the story to be true even though the evidence is false. Poliblogger notes, "The pro-Bush side is going to scream that they were right, that the docs were fake and the anti-Bush side is going to say, ok, they were fake, but the basic info in them is correct."
WorldMagBlog Interviews Last CBS Witness (Strong)
The CBS witness Robert Strong has been tracked down and interviewed by WorldMagBlog [note PowerlineBlog previously talked to him - see below]. It looks like his testimony was reported optimistically in favor of Bush's critics. The bottom line is that he says he can't authenticate the documents. "His testimony is...USA Today Editor: White House Provided Memos
USA Today editor Ken Paulson revealed that his news agency was first given memos matching CBS's from an undisclosed source. What is interesting is that Paulson states four memos, matching the original six, were released to the USA Today by the White House....Lead Expert Admits Forgery Possible
In a New York Times article, Marcel Matley, CBS' lone "document" expert, has now admitted that the signature he authenticated in several Texas National Guard Memos could have been previously lifted from any document for the purpose of forgery. Asked if the signature could have been lifted from an official...September 13, 2004
The End is Near - Lead Source Can't Authenticate.
Following CBS' publication of an article listing, unanswered, serious questions about Dan Rather's representation of the Bush-Guard Memos, the Washing Post and New York Times have published highly critical, credible and persuasive reports that the memos are forged. Remarkably, CBS' document (actually handwriting) expert has not publicly denied that he authenticated the memos. Captain’s Quarters remarks, "You know that CBS is drowning when it relies on an "expert" with no credentials as a document analyst who refuses to authenticate the memos because he only saw them on line."
CBS Article Undermines Prior Assertions
Many items contradicting the CBS/Rather defense were reported and remained unanswered in a CBS/AP article and stood in stark contrast to Rather's feeble yet forceful assertions reported by WizBangBlog.
September 12, 2004
A Likely Source for CBS Bush Guard Memos?
Update: CBS now identifies Burkett as the source of the Guard Memos and is publicly stating that they were misled by him [more]. Burkett will be interviewed on the CBS evening news 9/20. Who is the most likely source for the Bush Guard Memos quoted by CBS? Ace of Spades...List of Experts Mounts Against CBS Memos
Blogs for Bush has a summary of experts who believe that the Bush Guard Memos are likely not authentic. From my list of sources I would add one more. The benefit of the doubt goes to the accused and the burden of proof is on the accuser. Where's the proof?
September 11, 2004
Another CBS Source Turns, Undermining Memos
The New York Times interviews CBS source Hodges who suggests the CBS documents are falsified, INDC interviews Dr. Bouffard who claims he was misquoted, Wizbangblog catches CBS repeating the misquote and notes CBS' star witnesses previously written skepticism of copied documents.
Pentagon: Documents are Fake
More from the Powerline Guys on the CBS document scandal: KELLY WRIGHT [FOX NEWS]: Tony, here's the latest that we're finding out on this story. At least three Pentagon sources believe the documents about President Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard are fakes. CBS as you mentioned is...September 10, 2004
CBS Against the World - Memos, memos, memos
Fox News (via Backcountry Conservative) reports in a teaser to open their 9 a.m. programming that CBS is supposed to issue a statement today related to the allegedly forged National Guard memos. No word on the nature of the statement. While CBS has held firm (or spun hard) others are systematically undermining every aspect of the original story - engineers, handwriting experts, lawyers forensic scientists, journalists ... bloggers
Political Strategy Backfires
A Proverb to consider during a time of political controversy: "He who digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him."
September 9, 2004
A Rush to Judgement on the President's Military Records?
Proverbs 18:17 ¶ The first to plead his case [seems] right, [Until] another comes and examines him..
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